Chapter Thirty-Three: The Marauders are Born!

"Sure we can go see Hagrid we already had good food so…"

"Peter that's rude!' Remus gasped in mock surprise. Hagrid was wonderful but someone ought to tell him that his cooking and baking were used more often as weapons than sustenance.

"I'm up to some biscuit bomb wars," James replied abruptly, stopping his rolling and wailing, perhaps narrowly missing a foot in his face as a result.

"Yeah that's fine," Sirius muttered sulking now.

There was no flare of being dramatic when Sirius was truly and deeply upset, explosive anger at times, yes, but Remus could tell how hurt he was by the sheer quietness seeping off him as they walked to Hagrid's hut.

Strangely two students were coming out of the hut pockets no doubt weighed down with biscuits, Remus idly wondered if biscuit wars in which students threw the rock-like rolls at each other would catch on as a school-wide phenomenon, before realizing who the students were.

"Regulus?"

"Sirius? What are you doing here?'

"Coming to see Hagrid what are you doing here?"

"Oh well…."

"Wait just a second, that was you wasn't it!" Sirius exclaimed, sounding delighted. Remus wasn't sure what was happening but it distracted Sirius from licking his wounds so to speak so it was fine by him.

"Huh?"

"You got into detention for trying to practice potions didn't you?" Sirius asked grinning wickedly. Regulus blushed his little friend beside him going scarlet too.

"Well….sort of…," the younger Black concluded lamely. Remus wasn't sure what he expected from Regulus but it wasn't this shy young boy who was looking at Sirius with a dying hope for approval. Sirius startled laughing.

"You utter swat that….that's what you get detention for I can't believe it!"

"Hi Regulus, I'm a friend of your rude brother. I'm…"

"I know who you are," Regulus mumbled, shifting away from Remus' outstretched hand.

"Hey! Reggy be polite!" Sirius scolded his brother firmly.

"Says you!" Regulus snapped the nervousness and desire to be recognized on his face dying quickly.

"Come on Reggy let's get away from these blood traitors and mudb…" the young girl looked at Remus with disgust, going from looking like she was the kind of prissy girl to play with dolls to looking like she would rip them apart instead.

Remus shouldn't have been surprised by the hostility they were Slytherins after all, but they were so little, how could they already be filled with so much hate?

"His name is Remus and he's a better wizard than you'll ever be." James cut in defensively.

"Yeah, so keep your little friend on a short leash Regulus," Sirius muttered darkly, sending as strong a look of dislike at the girl as she had been sending Remus' way. Regulus looked lost for a second, glancing between the pretty little girl tugging impatiently on his arm to his brother's stern scowl.

"Come ON Reggy. It smells around them," the girl giggled and Regulus' eyes met Remus' analyzing him for a second before his face broke into a sneer.

"Well that might be my brother but point taken."

They were smart enough to start running as Sirius brandished his wand, in mere threat, though he looked upset enough that he might just cast a hex in their direction if they weren't already booking it back to the castle.

"YOU ANNOYING ICKY FIRSTIES! YOU'RE BOTH LAME ASS SWATS!" Sirius screamed after them, sounding a great deal like Patricia.

"It's fine Sirius he's just trying to fit in, he…"

Sirius turned sharp eyes to Remus which cut him off quickly.

"It's not ok! Most people still think you're a Muggle-born as if that makes a damn bit of difference. But the way they look at you and jump to conclusions is NOT ok." Sirius went from looking pissed to looking very stressed bending down into a squat resting his head on his arms. "How am I going to save him….."

Remus glanced at James whose face suggested there was no saving Regulus, to Peter who just looked uncomfortable and sighed sitting down on the grass beside Sirius. He was supposed to figure out how to make his friends pay for going behind his back, not comforting one of them. But Sirius turned his pleading eyes to Remus and he knew he had to say something, even if he wasn't at all sure what to say.

"I think…..Regulus loves you a lot, Sirius. I think if…." he chose his words carefully knowing if he even suggested the broken relationship between the two might just be a mutual problem that he wouldn't get anywhere. "...if you're patient with him…..you may convince him to see things your way." He remembered all that Ryan had told him about how the Slytherin house operated. "He's trying to fit in…..he has your cousin but I think he wouldn't mind fitting in more with you…"

If you let him, though Remus didn't dare add that part.

Sirius regarded him for a moment thinking through what had been said clearly disliking the 'be patient' advice.

"He's an annoying twat."

"So are you. Runs in the family I imagine."

James shifted nervously beside them but Remus knew Sirius would grin, he could just somehow tell when a joke was the best response for his friends, well at least Sirius.

"Guess so. Bloody hell Remus it would be nice to live in a world where you aren't always right you know!"

Remus grinned playfully in response.

"If I'm right so often then you ought to listen to me more."

"What fun would that be? If you had things your way you'd cart us off to the library to study every night like good little swats," Sirius teased and Remus felt himself relax at the casual banter.

"Don't forget who found the passage to HoneyDukes. If I was such a stick in the mud I certainly wouldn't entertain your disastrous plans as much as I do."

"That's true you never cease to amaze me," Sirius replied in a tone that made Remus feel sort of warm inside before his friend grinned wickedly "Not that you have much of a choice to go along with us. We both know how very persuasive I am~!"

Remus opened his mouth to send back a witty remark, some example about Sirius 'great persuasive' skills failing to get him out of detention. But James cleared his throat and Remus jolted confused as to why he had forgotten his other two friends were there.

"If you two are done now. Can we go see Hagrid before we're up after hours?"

"Careful Potter you sound an awful lot like Lily," Sirius laughed, popping to his feet and casually holding his hand out for Remus to take, which he did, truthfully still sore all over.

"I am not! Look I just have Quidditch practice…"

"You know James, maybe Lily would date you and mold you into the perfect little boyfriend." Sirius chortled making a whipping motion with one of his hands, the other still firmly holding Remus'.

"Just imagine James she probably wouldn't even let you fly a broom," Peter whined looking as if such an offense was as bad as murder. James glanced at Peter looking that way too, then cracked a nervous smile.

"Relax Peter I won't let her do that."

Sirius started laughing hard, still holding Remus' hand who was beginning to feel a bit foolish. Did Sirius think he'd fall down or something? He wasn't even that dizzy anymore...not enough to actually fall anyways.

"Aren't….you….supposed…..to…..say….you...won't...date...her," Sirius wheezed in between laughs and James' face went scarlet.

Remus figured he'd best interject before teasing turned into arguing. He didn't have to though, as the door to Hagrid's hut opened, the large man looking startled to find them there, loud music coming from his hut that would have drowned out even Sirius' shout.

"Ello what are you lot doing out so late?"

It was indeed getting late but that didn't stop Hagrid from being happy to see them and inviting them inside. Of course, Sirius immediately began asking about his brother's detention, and James seemed just as intrigued to learn what detention would prompt going into the Forbidden Forest.

"Jus helpin me collect some flabber worm puss is all," Hagrid explained while he started some tea. Sirius and James exchanged a glance, both of them no longer looking impressed.

"What do you think of the visitors Hagrid?" Peter asked and so began a long, longer than it should have been for sake of them not being out past hours, conversation on the different schools. Mostly, quite predictably, the one from Romania.

"Remus got an egg. I think there were about ten per table. They should have brought more."

Hagrid nodded his head in a disappointed agreement before catching himself.

"Now, I magine that it takes a lot of magic to make those."

"And money," Sirius pointed out wrinkling his nose as Hagrid set the mugs of tea in front of them.

As Remus pulled out the egg his hand nudged an empty vial that had previously housed a potions assignment that had actually turned the right color when he poured it into Slugghorn's cauldron to demonstrate. He'd gotten full points on that one, mostly because Lily had helped him.

An idea formed though that was quite appropriately wicked, in order to make his friends squirm. Hiding a grin that would give himself away he feigned struggling with the egg and spilled a tiny bit of tea into the vile when he was sure everyone had their attention on Hagrid who was explaining his plan to obtain a real dragon.

"Here it is," Remus replied, turning everyone's attention back to him. He let them 'ooo' and 'ahh' over the egg the appropriate amount of time before putting it back and casually uncorked the vile giving it a sniff just to make sure they all noticed.

"What's that?" James asked, perhaps thinking Remus had uncovered a wonderful secret to making Hagrid's tea decent.

"Oh, just a sleeping draft."

He pretended not to notice the nervous shifts and eye glances between them. So they had given him one today... He tried to think back to when. He concluded Peter must be slipping it into his goblet though that seemed just a bit too sneaky of him.

"Sleeping draught? You alright Lupin?" Hagrid asked, sounding concerned.

"Just too excited about the tournament to sleep," he explained smoothly with a grin.

He could feel his roommate's eyes on him, or more accurately the vial he casually held. So they did know exactly what had happened to him that day or at least suspected. Now that he thought about it when he told them later how he'd gotten a sleeping draught from Frank, Peter had looked like he might faint. They also had all been quick to agree that Madam Pomfrey was right and should be the only one to assign them.

"Well I don't think you need it, Remus," James attempted, sounding nervous.

"Not usually but I think it will be helpful," he replied, careful not to sound too innocent since Sirius would pick up on it right away. Struggling to bite back a grin, surprised and impressed at his own deviousness he poured the vile of tea back into the tea.

"Can I have some sugar?" he asked Hagrid who was happy to oblige, and predictably when he got up to get some, realized the time.

"Uh oh, yer out passed bedtime. Out you go."

"Can I take the tea and return it Hagrid?"

He saw Sirius look at Hagrid in disbelief as if willing the man who was clueless to what was happening not to agree.

"Sure don see why not. I always like the company. Now off you go. Don forget to show me the replica dragon when it hatches."

Remus warmly assured Hagrid he would then left, his three roommates trailing behind him. He pretended he couldn't hear their whispering as they plotted how to get Remus not to drink the tea without giving themselves away.

"Ooops!"

Predictable.

Ready for the attempt Remus pulled out his wand as James 'accidentally' barrelled into him, no doubt pushed by Sirius 'without prompt'.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he called out, clearly stopping the mug from spilling.

"Wow... nice wand work Remus," Sirius called, sounding as far from impressed as he could possibly be.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, turning to them the mug still in his hands. They all looked a bit paler than usual in the moonlight.

No, don't think about the moon.

"Well..wouldn't you rather enjoy a good drink with your draught?" Peter began uncertainly.

"Yeah, yeah good point Peter," James said, sounding relieved, "we could go to Madam Pomfrey and get a different….I mean the same draught but different drink."

Remus pretended to consider it glancing at Sirius who had gone quiet fighting with the moral dilemma of coming clean or letting Remus miss classes and the first day of the visitors tomorrow.

"Well it's past curfew now so as nice as that sounds I think I'll pass."

He brought the mug up to his lips closing his eyes, perhaps moving a bit exaggeratedly slowly but they'd chalk that up to him not liking the tea.

"Wait!" Sirius shouted, sounding distressed.

Good!

Remus was confident they would learn their lesson after this. He brought down the mug forcing himself to look puzzled.

Having great control over your emotions does wonders when it comes to pranking your friends!

"What is it?"

"Put….something in your….tea…," Sirius muttered.

"Huh?"

"We put the sleeping draught in your tea already!" Peter exclaimed, unable to hold it in any longer. James shot him an annoyed look but they couldn't really blame him for...well spilling the tea so to speak.

"You….what?"

"You don't sleep well and you're a stubborn twat so we decided we'd give you the draught," James explained.

"Now you'll never trust us again or tell us anything," Sirius muttered and Remus realized with a stab he was crying.

"Well….why not just tell me?" he asked, careful to sound more disapproving than angry. His anger was gone now and he didn't want to make Sirius start sobbing.

"We...thought...knew you'd be mad," James explained uncomfortably. They all look very chastened.

"I am mad. You marauders all three of you are absolute scoundrels! So the other day I missed class because of you three!" he snapped, and Sirius looked up guilt-ridden.

"We didn't think you'd…."

"We're sorry! We'll do anything!" Peter cried.

Remus hadn't considered this option and wondered briefly if he should come up with something ridiculous in further punishment.

"As long as you realize how dangerous what you did was!"

Although Remus knew they wouldn't come close to truly understanding how dangerous it was, could have been. Three heads nodded but James was smiling ear to ear, trying not to but smiling. Worried he had figured out Remus knew from the start he asked him a bit sharply why he was smiling.

"You did it Remus Lupin, you are a genius."

Remus cast him a confused look shared by Peter and James.

"Our name. Our group name! He did it!"

"What the bloody hell are you saying, James? Are you trying to make him more pissed?"

"Yes, careful James, or I'll make you three complete your homework assignments on time for a month in punishment."

They cringed a bit at that, especially Sirius who was notorious for not turning things in on time, if at all. But Remus was clearly teasing them, and the subtle assurance his anger wasn't that bad encouraged James to explain properly, now beaming with excitement.

"The Marauders! That's what we are, all four of us! We go pillage Honeydukes and roam the castle looking for treasure so to speak," he shouted gleefully. Well, Remus couldn't really deny that he was as likely to be a scoundrel as his friends, especially after what he had just pulled. It was entirely his friends' fault he was like this though. Still, it did have a nice ring to it.

"The Marauders," Sirius said slowly, consideringly. He was the real one James had to convince since they all knew Peter would go along with James, and unless the name was too inappropriate Remus didn't care that much. "Yeah, yeah!" he decided, growing excited himself "The Marauders!"

"What do you think of it, Remus?"

"I think you three can't escape my anger this way." They wilted and Remus smiled the smile he'd been holding on to for a while. "But I can't deny I like it and it's accurate. Alright, then The Marauders it is. This means I get the cloak right James?"

...

In celebration of their cool name they spent the night stealing, well they paid, from Honeydukes and pigging out by the lake in typical marauder fashion. Yep, Sirius decided, his face screwing up in disgust at the bogey flavored jelly bean he'd just been 'forced' to eat, that name was a keeper.

Besides having won the invisibility cloak for three days, days that were of Remus' choosing, seemed to cheer up their friend. Although it was weird since Sirius was sure Remus would be more upset about the sleeping draught thing. However, Remus had even agreed they could stay out late since he had joked he'd almost missed all of his classes tomorrow anyways.

There was a lightness to Remus, that Sirius doubted his friend noticed in himself, which must mean the conversation with Lily had gone well. That was a good thing, right?

Then why did it make Sirius feel so disgruntled?

"Mm watermelon flavored," Remus replied with a smile at the scowls he got. He had been on an insanely lucky streak of not having eaten one nasty flavored jelly bean.

"Give one of us a challenge then," James groaned dramatically since that was how the game went. As soon as you ate a nasty flavor it was free game for whoever got a nice flavored one to give you a dare. James was just sour since the first jelly bean he had eaten was a bad flavor with a streak of bad ones to follow, and most of the challenges had therefore been directed at him for the majority of the game until Peter joined him and finally Sirius.

"Hmm alright then tomorrow ask one of the visiting students for their autograph."

James groaned now having to tell one visiting student he had a crush on them, ask one to the dance which hadn't even been properly announced yet, and tell one of them he had a horribly nasty case of warts. That last one had been Sirius' genius. Of course, James had gotten them back and the list of embarrassing things they had to say to the visitors tomorrow was growing ridiculous. Well, he had gotten all of them back but Remus anyways.

How was he getting so lucky anyways?

Still, they were having a good time. Sirius' fears that Remus would never trust them again and would be so mad he'd go back on his promise to tell them had been squashed.

Sure Remus was still making sarcastic comments about how very much he trusted them at least not to drug him, oh wait. But those were good-natured jabs, mostly, and well deserved. The last of Remus' anger had dried up when they had all solemnly swore never ever to do it again, upon the stipulation after much arguing, that Remus would take a drought still, every day.

During that argument in their dorm, before they had decided to go celebrate, Sirius had been worried Remus would go back on his promise to tell them just to spite them. He had gotten very agitated but the three of them managed to talk sense into that thick head of his and everything seemed fine now, mostly. Besides of course whatever it was that Lily knew and he didn't.

"Soap."

"Another bad one James," Peter tsked teasingly. Because every three times they went around the score reset itself and only James was getting really unlucky every time.

"No, no wait wait that's not even bad!" James argued, sounding a bit desperate. Not that Sirius blamed him, he wouldn't want to be James tomorrow either.

"Yes, it is!" Peter argued.

"Is not."

"I think we should give James this one Peter since he's had so many."

"Says the person who hasn't had one bad flavored jelly bean," Sirius scoffed. He glanced at the moon high in the sky figuring it was nearly two am. He'd gotten pretty good at telling time from their spot by the lake out here. "I hate to be a party pooper but we really should head back now otherwise we might all be sleeping through our classes without being overdosed with the sleeping draught."

There was a tense silence in which Sirius wondered if maybe it was too soon for him to joke about such matters. Then Remus gave him a mischievous grin.

"You know I should have had perfect attendance be a condition also," he replied innocently, sounding far too smug.

Two whole weeks, his condition had been for, two whole weeks! For two whole weeks, they couldn't disturb class, not a peep not a prank, nothing.

Of course, their 'benevolent friend' had been 'generous' enough to let them proceed with planning their pranks soon to be unleashed on the girls. It was truly a necessity since Sirius, after a semi-serious conversation with his friends, had decided he would still follow Narcissa's rules until he could speak to Regulus again. If that went wrong one more time though he had assured James they could rain hell down on the Slytherins.

"Oh come on Remus," Peter pleaded, sounding nervous that he'd do so.

"I'm only joking Peter. Alright, it's getting late let's head back."

"Oh thank you!" James shouted collapsing to the ground in a fit of hysterics. "Guys I'm going to die tomorrow."

"Probably," Remus agreed in amusement.

"It seems so."

"Definitely," Sirius agreed wholeheartedly.

"You guys suck," James groaned before they all headed back to their dorm underneath James' invisibility cloak. A cloak Remus could use for three whole days.

Sirius wondered to himself what on earth their friend would do with that sort of power?